Railay is a lovely part of Thailand, with a picture perfect beach on the South. I spent my entire time here getting wet in the rain but the area is still one of the most beautiful places I have seen.

Only accessible by boat the best way to get here is from Ao Nang, for just 100 baht per person.
 
We stayed in Ton Sai beach, as it's cheaper than the West and East Railay beaches, although distinctively more rustic. The first place we looked at was flea infested, although only 100 baht (£2.50/$4) a night. We ended up settling on a room for 300 baht plus 100 baht for sheets and towels but we didn't have any electricity until 6pm each day!
 
To get to West Railay beach from Ton Sai it's a bit of a hike via the trail over the rocky outcrop between the two beaches. In addition, I found myself running between waves to get past the initial overhanging rock area on Ton Sai beach when the tide was in but as I was already wet from a freak storm earlier it didn't really matter.
 
Out of curiosity we checked the accommodation on East Railay which was priced at 2,100 baht upwards - and this is low season! Railay East was cheaper, starting at about 600 baht.
 
 Beautiful Phranang beach

Phranang beach can be accessed from East Railay. Just head through the well defined walkway which has overhangs from the cliff, and monkeys (although they are not always there).

Despite the rain the rock climbers were always out on the beach making the most of the sheltered area of the rock face. I'm told Railay has some of the best climbing and there are a number of places where you can sign up to give this a go. The routes are well marked and consequently busy even in low season. 
 
As well as the beautiful sand Phranang beach is where you can find the legendary Princess cave where fisherman still visit to leave gifts for the spirit which lives here. In fact the cave is so overloaded with phalluses there's now a second cave.
 
Heading back to Ton Sai just before night fall meant the tide was now out so we could take the sea side route from West Railay; instead of a hike over the outcrop it was a case of clambering over rocks as the sea swept up against them. I got spooked by someone taking the same route as it had gotten dark and I didn't expect a voice to greet me "hello" in what felt like a smugglers cove!
 
Day 2

On day 2 we took the back route to Railay East through the 'jungle'. It was dry when we set off but the rain soon came as expected and so did the swarms of mosquitos! Even Phill resorted to the tube of deet I was carrying.
 
After lunch at a little restaurant near the boat dock on East Railay we stopped off at the Diamond Cave (where sadly the walkways seem to have been neglected) and then headed towards Phranang beach to where the trail up and over to the not so well advertised lagoon begins.

Climbing to the lagoon
 
The climb to lagoon was muddy and the ropes were sodden with mud from the rain and hard to grip. In fact it was easier to freestyle the climb taking it slowly and avoiding looking down. 
 
Legs aching and caked in mud we reached the top, only to have to face the anguishing climb down, back to almost sea level on the other side, to get to the lagoon.
 
It starts off gently at about 45 degrees but after the recent rain there was little in terms of grip and more of a sort of mud slide, if you put a foot wrong. The ropes here were also really wet and muddy and the thick vines growing across the path we better placed to help stabilise me. A couple of climbers and their guide clambered past, making me feel completely useless as they were much more confident on their feet than I was but I was egged onward none the less.
 
Reaching the bottom of the first slope there was a pool of muddy water which I disappointing thought was the lagoon; however, I was glad to hear there was more climbing first!
 
From this point onwards there are three vertical cliffs to negotiate of about 10-15 metres each. Seeing the first cliff wall, I thought about turning back. Onward still.
 
As I shimmied down a slope and over the cliff face, memories of a rather nasty fall whilst in a similar position in Equador, a few years ago, flashed back. I was climbing up at the time and lost my grip and fell about 10 metres. Today this was so much harder. My arms were hurting, my legs shaking and my whole body was actually quite scared! With some encouragement and promise of it being worth it, I carried on. 
 
At the second cliff edge, I looked down reluctantly but bravely soldiered on, only to slip and find myself losing my footing and my grip both at the same time. I was halfway down and did almost fall the rest of the way, but thankfully Phill was there with backup, grabbing my mud soaked arms and legs and preventing me crashing onto the sharp rocks below. I actually sat on his head at one point to avoid slipping again. 
 
I wanted to go back after this but the glint of the lagoon through the gap in the cliff face as we looked out from the crevice, was too much to give up on. 
 
The last cliff was the hardest. I saw from Phill's face that he didn't think I could make it down, so went off in search of an alternative, which he found to be a large hole in the rock and a ledge that made it easier to drop down to the final area of descent.
 
Reaching the bottom I felt a surge of relief and satisfaction, but there was a sinking feeling concerning how I was going to get back out. 
 
The lagoon was totally worth it and the swim was also well received, even when it started raining heavily. 
 
Thankfully the return climb was much easier than I expected, although still a struggle for a novice climber such as myself in the mud and rain. 

At the time of the climb I was constantly thinking about how I would get back up, but as I ventured on and the anticipation of what was to come, subsided, so did the adrenalin. I have never done something quite like this and would love to hear from anyone who has enjoyed, as much as I did, this almost 'secret' adventure for themselves... especially in high season and without the mud. I think the mud just added to the overall beauty that this place has to offer.

If you are planning a trip to Railay, plan to experience a different Thailand. A beautiful beach, some restrictions on alcohol (the area is predominantly Muslim) and some adventurous climbing... It's not all beaches and bathing!